A/N: Thank you for all the great reviews of chapter 2. So nice to be so kindly welcomed back. Here is a slightly silly, romantic chapter for your Christmas Eve, in which I have amped up the Jisbon a bit more for your enjoyment.

Chapter 3

"Hey, Cho, "called Jane from his familiar place on the couch in the FBI bullpen, leg crossed, holding a cup of tea on his knee. Cho paused on his way to his office, then pivoted back toward Jane and Lisbon, who was sitting at her desk. Samuel was sleeping in his stroller nearby.

"Jane. I don't remember calling you in on a case," said Cho, frowning.

"You didn't. I'm still your consultant of last resort. I'm happy as a clam being a stay-at-home dad and live-in carpenter. No, I'm here bringing Christmas cheer… along with an invitation."

Lisbon looked up from her computer, swiveling slightly toward her husband.

"To what?" asked Cho, crossing his arms expectantly.

"A little get-together tonight at our place. Nothing fancy. Just you and a few mutual friends celebrating the holiday. What do ya say?"

Jane purposefully avoided Lisbon's eyes, which he could feel boring into him like angry green lasers.

"Will there be those little sausages in barbecue sauce?" Cho asked.

Jane smiled broadly. "Naturally."

"Mini quiches?"

"Wouldn't be a party without one."

"Beer?"

"Of course."

Cho's eyes narrowed suddenly. "There won't be any silly party games, will there?"

"Wouldn't think of it."

"Okay, then," said Cho. "Thanks."

"Seven o'clock."

With a nod to Lisbon, and a quick flash of dimples as he looked down at the sleeping baby, Cho continued on to his office.

Jane took a sip of his tea, his eyes alight with triumph.

"Hey, Mr. Christmas Cheer," Lisbon said tightly. "A party? Tonight? What the hell, Jane?"

"Well, you're invited too, of course, my dear."

"Gee, thanks. And who is on this list of friends you've invited without my prior knowledge or consent?"

"Well, in addition to you and Cho, there's Wylie and his plus one…and Avery Brooks."

Lisbon gasped. "You didn't."

"I did. Saw her at the hospital right before I came here to pick you up for lunch."

"You asked a perfect stranger into our home-?" She glanced with a frown at their son.

"Not exactly a stranger, Lisbon. She is an old friend of Cho's. And she's a doctor, remember?" As if that made all the difference.

"And she knows Cho will be there?"

"Yes. I believe mention of his name was all the impetus she needed to attend our little soiree. I hate to say I told you so."

"Since when?"

He smiled into his blue teacup.

Having finished his tea, he set the empty cup and saucer on the table behind the couch. Then, stifling a yawn, he stretched out his full length, his blonde head resting on the overstuffed armrest. "I have time for a cat nap before lunch, don't I, Lisbon?"

Lisbon had resumed typing her report. "A quick one. I'm almost finished with this and I'm starved. But don't you think you should skip lunch in lieu of the grocery store? Those little sausages won't barbecue themselves you know." She smirked at her own joke.

He crossed his arms over his chest, his lips forming a beatific grin.

"Relax, sweetheart. Samuel and I have everything under control. We're the men of the house, after all."

She rolled her eyes as he closed his, but then he shifted a little, trying in vain to get comfortable. His grin turned to a frown.

"Has somebody been sleeping on my couch?" he asked, annoyed.

Lisbon laughed. "Are you kidding? Nobody dares touch Jane's Couch. Go to sleep, Goldilocks."

He mumbled under his breath, sat up, smoothed out the leather, and lay down again. Soon he had drifted off, visions of warm canapés dancing in his head.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Being a bachelor, Cho was hard pressed to pass up a free, home-cooked meal, even if it was only hors d'oeuvres at the Janes'. Besides, the idea of spending another evening at his empty apartment suddenly seemed extremely depressing, especially around the holidays. What he needed was a night with his friends where he could maybe get Avery Brooks off his mind for a while.

The light of day had awakened him to the fact that she was his past, that what they had, had been puppy love at most, and trying to go back down that road would only lead to more disappointment and heartache. She had left him all those years ago. To be fair, it hadn't been her choice-the Marine Corps had re-assigned her father to a military base in Texas-but she could have written to him, told him her new address. Maybe even called him. But she hadn't, and as the weeks slipped by, Cho began to find solace in his new friends in the Avon Park Playboys.

The excitement of gang life made him forget about her, mostly. When his dad made him quit baseball because his grades were slipping, that pretty well sealed his fate to become what Avery's father had accused him of being all along—a no-good gangsta in one of the most feared gangs in Oakland.

Avery's re-entry into his life now brought back all those mistakes of his boyhood, reminded him of the other friends he'd lost, the way he'd almost screwed up his life for good. Cho knew it was unreasonable, but part of him still blamed Avery for that. In light of his inability to forgive her completely, trying to regain what they had lost seemed an impossibility. No, thought Cho, steering clear of Dr. Avery Brooks was probably the best thing for both of them.

Now if he could only stop thinking about her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Nice tree," said Cho sincerely, admiring the seven-foot scotch pine in Jane and Lisbon's newly remodeled living room. It twinkled and glowed with antique ornaments and tinsel. Christmas music floated softly from the stereo, and a cheerful fire burned brightly in the fireplace. The air was redolent of pine, cinnamon, baking quiche and barbecue sauce.

"Thanks," said Lisbon. "All Jane's doing."

She shifted Samuel to her hip, where he held a Vienna sausage in one small hand, half of which was on his face. Jason Wylie had arrived with a cute junior agent from Cybercrimes, Crystal, and the pair were merrily talking shop on the couch in front of the fire. Jane served them hors d'oeuvres in a silly sweater with Rudolph on it, whose blinking red nose made Samuel laugh.

"You know how he is when he sets his mind to something," finished Lisbon with an indulgent smile.

They both remembered his obsession with Red John years before, and they exchanged looks of nostalgia.

"Cho!" exclaimed Jane, moving toward his guest, tray in hand. "Glad you could come. Have a mini quiche, as per your request."

Cho reached out and popped one in his mouth, nodding his approval.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

"Here, go to your Uncle Cho." Lisbon handed Samuel unceremoniously to Cho. "You mind?" she asked belatedly. "I'll get the door."

Cho held the baby awkwardly at first, his mouth still full of quiche. Samuel was in the process of sticking the Vienna sausage in Cho's mouth when he heard a familiar voice in the small foyer. When Lisbon took Avery's coat, his heart stalled in his chest, his eyes feasting upon her simple green dress, which clung and moved about her body in a most mouthwatering way. The dress just met her knees, and his eyes helplessly wandered from her full breasts to her slim waist and hips, then down to her well-defined calves and tiny feet encased in black ballerina flats. Her hair hung in ringlets about her pretty face, her light eyes sparkling as she and Lisbon introduced themselves at the door.

Avery paused in mid-laugh when she beheld Cho where he stood by the Christmas tree, casual in a lightweight black sweater and jeans, baby Samuel in his arms.

"Well, Kimball looks like he just ran into another light pole," murmured Avery to Lisbon, as she hung her guest's coat on a nearby rack. "Didn't Mr. Jane tell him I'd be here?"

Lisbon shook her head apologetically. "My husband is not one to pass up a chance to uh, surprise people. It's the showman in him."

"Showman?"

"I'll fill you in later," promised Lisbon.

Avery's eyes were still on Cho's, who was turning his head to avoid eating Samuel's generously proffered snack. She laughed in spite of herself as the soft sausage smashed against Cho's cheek.

Lisbon smiled. "I'd better go rescue poor Cho from my son. Please, come on in and help yourself to Jane's famous barbecued smokies."

Avery chuckled, following Lisbon back to Cho. She retrieved Samuel, apologizing to Cho for the mess, handing him a napkin from a side table. Cho absently wiped at his messy cheek.

"I'll just get Sammy ready for bed," Lisbon said, although she guessed neither Cho nor Avery heard her, so enmeshed were they in each other's presence. Lisbon shook her head and met her husband's eyes across the room, who was chewing on a quiche, watching his handiwork with obvious satisfaction.

"I didn't know Jane had invited you," said Cho, trying to keep his tone level.

"I can see that. He told me you were going to be here though." Avery's heart picked up speed at her own temerity. Okay, she thought to herself. I guess this means I'm all in.

Cho's eyes widened at the implication of her soft words. "Oh," he managed.

Jane chose that time to welcome her, and if Cho hadn't wanted to hit him before, he had to struggle to restrain himself now for the consultant's untimely interruption.

"Avery! So glad you could make it," Jane exclaimed jovially. "You know Kimball, of course. Please, meet Jason Wylie and his lovely friend Crystal Snow."

Avery smiled as she held out her hand to the younger couple, who rose from the couch to greet her.

"Yes," said the cute blonde, "that's really my name. Nice to meet you, Avery."

"Likewise."

"There's plenty of food," said Jane, indicating the spread on the coffee table. "Can I get you a drink? Beer? Eggnog? Wine?"

"Eggnog, if it's non-alcoholic," she replied. "Unfortunately, I'm on call."

"My wife thoughtfully provided both," said Jane. "Make yourself at home while I get your drink. When Teresa comes back sans child, we'll get to the party games."

Cho frowned, and Jane shrugged off the man's annoyance with a grin.

"I love games," said Avery.

"I figured you did the moment I met you," said Jane, smirking a little at Cho, who was effectively trapped into playing, whether he really wanted to or not. Jane moved off to the kitchen then, whistling along with Jingle Bells.

"Oh, I hope we play charades," commented Crystal.

"Not if Jane is playing," said Wylie. "He'll win every time." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "He can read minds."

"No he can't," countered Cho.

"Have you ever played cards with the man?"

"Only once," said Cho. "He cheats."

Jane returned with Avery's glass mug of eggnog. She sipped it while Jane watched her reaction.

"Hmmm," she said, delighted with the rich drink.

Cho's eyes were drawn to her mouth, and he swallowed over his tight throat.

"It's the extra nutmeg," said Jane. "No one ever puts enough to my taste."

"Well, this is excellent,"

She took another drink, and when her pink tongue swept over her upper lip, Cho felt it in his groin.

Lisbon came back into the room, her arms laden with board games.

"I thought we were playing charades," protested Jane.

"No way am I ever playing any kind of guessing games with you," she said. "You use your Jedi mind tricks way too much. Neither will we play any trivia games or anything remotely to do with poker."

"Aw Lisbon, I've said a million times that there are no such things as psychics—or Jedi, for that matter. But there are such things as sore losers," he said with a wink, kissing her cheek fondly. The rest of the company laughed.

Jane barely avoided her good-natured slap when he took the games from her hands, moving quickly to the nearby dining table. He began taking votes on what they should play, while Cho admired the smooth mocha skin of Avery's bare arms, the way her slim surgeon's fingers daintily held her drink.

And so they embarked upon an epic game of Apples to Apples, Cho loosening up considerably with the fun and laughter that ensued, or perhaps it was partly due to the four beers he consumed. At any rate, while he didn't become immune to Avery's tantalizing perfume, he certainly enjoyed sitting next to her at the table, his knee occasionally touching hers. Once, she placed her hand on his wrist in shared amusement, and he felt it burn into his skin like a hot brand. He met her laughing eyes and knew in that moment that he was hopelessly lost to her once more.

She must have noticed his sudden seriousness, for her smile faded, and she squeezed his wrist with concern.

"Excuse me," he said, rising from the table. "I need some air."

The party watched as he left the table, all who knew him stunned by Cho's uncharacteristic discomposure, save for Jane. He could see the struggle in the younger man's face, could empathize. It had taken Jane years to take a chance with Lisbon, to find the right time, to believe that he was good enough for her.

The front door opened and closed, sending a brief rush of cool air into the room.

"It is sort of warm in here," said Lisbon. "Shall we take a break?"

"Yeah," said Wylie. "Any more of that cheese dip, Jane?"

"Sure. Follow me." The men left for the kitchen.

Lisbon and Crystal looked at each other, then at Avery.

"Maybe someone should check on Cho," suggested Lisbon quietly, though she made no move from the table to do so herself.

"He looked a little pale," said Crystal.

It had been obvious the whole evening that Avery and Cho were smitten, and while Crystal and Wylie had no idea of their past, it was pretty apparent to everyone that there was something between them.

"You think I should go to him?" Avery asked uncertainly.

"Definitely," said Lisbon and Crystal together. The women all chuckled, breaking the tension a little.

Avery took a deep breath and rose. "Okay."

Lisbon smiled at her reassuringly. "I doubt he'll be mad at your intrusion."

She nodded and left them, pausing to take her coat and Cho's leather one from the coat rack, which she recognized from the night before.

She found him standing near the pond, the moon glinting off his black hair. Their breath puffed out like smoke, and she could feel her shoes sinking into the soft, damp earth. He heard her coming, heard the dry reeds rustle as she made her way through the still evening.

"Hey," she said, handing him his jacket. He slipped it on without comment. "What happened in there?" she asked into the silence.

"I didn't know you were coming," he blurted.

"Do you want me to go?"

He turned to look at her, but she couldn't make out his expression. Her face was toward the moonlight, so she knew he could see her uncertainty.

"No," he said quietly.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"I don't know."

"Well then," she said simply, words failing her. She moved to leave.

"Why did you come?" he asked. She stopped, turned back to him.

"Because I wanted to see you again."

"Why?"

She sighed in frustration. "I heard Teresa say you were the best interrogator she's ever known. Is this part of your shtick?"

He realized he was being an ass, and he turned sheepishly back toward the pond, and stared at it, dark and fathomless in the night.

"Sorry," he muttered.

She reached out for his arm, and she noted how he stiffened at her touch.

"Honestly, I wanted to see if there was anything left for us, Kimball. I can sense you are still hurt by how things ended between us. But we were kids then; we didn't know what the hell we were doing—either of us."

"You never wrote to me. Never called," he said, and there at last was the root of all his pain and trepidation.

"My dad wouldn't let me," she whispered brokenly.

"What?"

"He said that if I contacted you again, he wouldn't help me go to college. He said he'd disown me. And also…"

She hesitated, trying to find the words.

"What?" he repeated. "What else did that bastard say?" She could feel his cold anger, colder even than this freezing Texas night, and Cho the man was much scarier than Cho the teenage boy had ever been.

"He-he said he would call a friend he knew with the Oakland PD, would tell him to start following you, start harassing you as a gangbanger till you slipped up and landed in jail. I believed he would do it, and I didn't want anything to happen to you. I loved you too much, Kimball."

Cho considered her words, weighed their validity. It would explain a lot, if she were telling him the truth.

"I tried to find you when I got away to college, but all I heard was that you had joined the Playboys. Your parents had moved away."

"I was in Juvie," he said. "I had stolen another car, but my luck ran out." He wondered then if Avery's father had had anything to do with that. But he couldn't blame Sergeant Brooks anymore. Getting caught was what had gotten Cho off the streets. He should probably thank the man.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry."

"I was an idiot kid. My parents moved away in shame, said I was on my own. When I got out, I stayed with my uncle, worked, got my GED. Then I enlisted in the Army."

"Then the FBI?"

"Well, by way of the California Bureau of Investigation for ten years. Long story how I ended up here."

They were both quiet now, Cho amazed that Avery still had this power over him, could still get him to confess his feelings in a way no one else ever could. That was probably one of the main reasons he had fallen in love with her. One of the reasons he still felt that helpless pull toward her.

"Jesus," he said under his breath, one hand going to his face. He flinched when made contact with his sore nose, dropped his hand.

"It still seems like yesterday," she said after a moment. "Being with you. I tried you know, to get on with my life. Everyone said first loves weren't the real thing, that I would find a man to make me forget you. That never happened. I dated sporadically in college, in med school. I never felt with them what I'd felt with you, so I went on a lot of first dates. Becoming a doctor, then being one has consumed my life. Whenever I felt like I was missing out on a personal life, I just threw myself into my work. That's been enough. Until I saw you last night, and all the years seemed to just…fall away. Am I being naive here, Kimball? Thinking there's any hope for us after all that has happened, after all this time has passed?"

Avery's heart was pounding in her chest, her eyes filling with tears. She felt like a teenager again, helpless in a way she never was as a doctor. Telling him these things she'd longed to for decades was scarier than her first emergency surgery had been, when she'd held someone's life in her hands for the first time. Now, she supposed, Kimball was holding hers.

She gasped when she found herself suddenly in his arms, the smell of leather, the outdoors, and his subtle cologne enfolding her. His cold hands rose to her cheeks, then slid into her hair. She trembled, but not from the cold.

"Kimball," she managed breathlessly, before his lips took hers.

It was like they had never parted, and the sweetness of it made them feel young and free and wildly excited. Their mouths seemed to remember what their brains had mostly forgotten, molding to each other like they had in the days when they'd spent hours merely kissing. He teased open her lips like he had once done in their old, familiar dance, tongues meeting and hesitant, before their mutual passion took hold, sweeping them away.

Avery mindlessly slipped her arms within his jacket, moving as close to him as she could fully clothed near a pond in winter. He was warm and strong as she remembered, but there was an additional confidence within him that could only have come with age and experience. She found this new man infinitely sexier than the boy had been. She was instantly aroused—as was he, she realized.

The tug of her lips into a smile made him draw away in curiosity. They were both breathing rapidly, pulses racing with desire.

"What?" he inquired unsteadily, his hands still buried in her silky curls. She could just see his dimples in the moonlight.

"I was wondering if we had gone back in time," she said, her voice low and shaky.

He gently kissed her full lips. "Me too," he admitted.

She rubbed his nose with hers and he let out a small grunt of pain.

"Oh, God," she said. "I forgot about your injury."

"It only hurts when you're not kissing me," he teased, and she giggled like the girl she'd long forgotten.

"I'd better do something about that then," she said. "I'm a doctor. I took an oath."

And then they were kissing again, but it wasn't the past anymore. It was the here and now and the possibility of a new future, where they had all the time in the world.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

From the window of their sleeping son's dark bedroom, Jane spied on the embracing couple outside near the pond. He grinned to himself, just as he felt Lisbon's slip her arms around him from behind, going up on tiptoe to rest her chin on his shoulder. She peered into the night to see what had caught his attention, and she smiled along with him, happy to see her friend obviously happy too.

"I never took you for a Peeping Tom."

"That's because I'm a Peeping Patrick," he said, pulling her hands more tightly around him. He nodded toward the window. "Look at them, Lisbon. It makes me almost rethink all that fate business."

She kissed him near his ear and he shivered. "I'll make a believer out of you yet," she whispered sensually, and he turned into her arms.

"Oh, I believe, Teresa," said Jane, glancing from his wife's loving face to Samuel in his crib. "More and more every day…"

A/N: One more chapter to go, coming soon. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!